Ethanol Debate In Fuel

[pmf113b]

I have just brought a 1989 BMW E30 and find the debate on ethanol like many others a little confusing

I found on the net this article http://autorepair.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/aa102100a_2.htm

Does this clarify or is this a another spin

Happy and inexpensive motoring

[Gonsalviz]

Not hype. Just stick to the 10% rule. No E-20. Gasohol is 10% or at least it should be.

[naboo]

Not hype. Just stick to the 10% rule. No E-20. Gasohol is 10% or at least it should be.

Gasohol that is E10 should be 10%. Gasohol that is E20 should be 20%.

Not all gasohol is equal. And neither should it be.

My bike takes up to E20. There are cars on the road that will take E85, though not many of them.

[Saan]

I had an older style Mercedes and accidentally put in ethanol. When I realised what I was doing I immediately stopped. A few hundred metres down the road there was an almighty backfire that blew a hole in my exhaust. I might have got away with it if I had topped the car up with ordinary fuel to dilute the ethanol but I did not think of it at the time. Never again.

[mic6ard]

older vehicles would get really messed up with the gasohol.

It'll eat away at your rubber hoses and seals in the fuel system, leading to major repairs. Right now I think that the best would be Vpower95 (gasohol) since I've heard that the % ethanol is lower than 10%.

You'll definitely need retuning the engine since gasohol isn't as efficient as pure petrol. Newer EFI with computer control stuff, could adapt to a certain level, but older carbs will have problems.

[tangcoral]

Not hype. Just stick to the 10% rule. No E-20. Gasohol is 10% or at least it should be.

So your saying brand new cars should not use E20 as well? Stay away completely?

[trainman34014]

older vehicles would get really messed up with the gasohol.

It'll eat away at your rubber hoses and seals in the fuel system, leading to major repairs. Right now I think that the best would be Vpower95 (gasohol) since I've heard that the % ethanol is lower than 10%.

You'll definitely need retuning the engine since gasohol isn't as efficient as pure petrol. Newer EFI with computer control stuff, could adapt to a certain level, but older carbs will have problems.

My wife's old Daihatsu Charade ran on Gasohol since it was invented. She had the car from new for 19 years and I don't know how many of those years it ran on Gasohol but it never caused a single problem in the almost five years I used it until replacing it last year with a new car. It performed just as well after 96,000 klicks as it would have done for all the years before. Apart from normal servicing it only ever had brake pads and engine timing belts replaced as you would with any car. Most Japanese engines have been built down the years to take the lowest grades of fuel.

Edited February 1, 2013 by trainman34014

[Rasseru]

This topic is much discussed on the Thai Visa motor forum.

[onthedarkside]

For those that need 95 real gasoline, the larger PTT gas stations have it, yellow pump sign, 47.16 baht/liter today.

[AngelsLariat]

For those that need 95 real gasoline, the larger PTT gas stations have it, yellow pump sign, 47.16 baht/liter today.

I get very poor gas mileage (fuel economy) when I use gasohol in my 2012 Ford automobile. Compared to 91 Benzene, my mileage seems to go down by a percentage greater than the percentage of ethanol in the gas. It's almost as if the alcohol is inert. Is this common, or is something wrong with my car?

[Tywais]

For those that need 95 real gasoline, the larger PTT gas stations have it, yellow pump sign, 47.16 baht/liter today.

I get very poor gas mileage (fuel economy) when I use gasohol in my 2012 Ford automobile. Compared to 91 Benzene, my mileage seems to go down by a percentage greater than the percentage of ethanol in the gas. It's almost as if the alcohol is inert. Is this common, or is something wrong with my car?

My understanding, due to the lower energy per volume of alcohol, you will get approximately 3-5% less mileage. Are you saying you are more than 10% less in your gas mileage now? If carburetored then evaporation will be greater of the alcohol then fuel injected. If fuel injected but no ECT then may need tuned.

//edit - just saw the 2012 so most likely fuel injected and should have automatic adjustment by ECT so not clear what the issue is.

[AngelsLariat]

For those that need 95 real gasoline, the larger PTT gas stations have it, yellow pump sign, 47.16 baht/liter today.

I get very poor gas mileage (fuel economy) when I use gasohol in my 2012 Ford automobile. Compared to 91 Benzene, my mileage seems to go down by a percentage greater than the percentage of ethanol in the gas. It's almost as if the alcohol is inert. Is this common, or is something wrong with my car?

My understanding, due to the lower energy per volume of alcohol, you will get approximately 3-5% less mileage. Are you saying you are more than 10% less in your gas mileage now? If carburetored then evaporation will be greater of the alcohol then fuel injected. If fuel injected but no ECT then may need tuned.

//edit - just saw the 2012 so most likely fuel injected and should have automatic adjustment by ECT so not clear what the issue is.

Yes, I'm saying a greater than 10% reduction in gas mileage is occurring with E10; more than 20% with E20.

[Rancid]

Alcohol is meant for human consumption, who has ever heard of a car with a liver?